RANKING STATES ON ILLICIT TOBACCO IGNORES FEDERAL FAILINGS

Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS)

Retailers are calling for the Albanese Government to stop sitting on its hands while forcing the states to fight its war on illicit tobacco, following the release of a new state-by-state “league table” that measures penalties, enforcement and supply chain controls.

The Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) said the National Illicit Tobacco Ladder, which has ranked the Queensland Government in first place and the Northern Territory in last, puts the lion’s share of responsibility on the states.

“Pitting the states against each other in the war on illegal tobacco is pointless, because this is a crisis that was created by the Federal Government with its back-to-back excise hikes,” said AACS CEO Theo Foukkare.

“The states can never win the war on illicit tobacco when the Albanese Government refuses to cut the sky-high excise that started this conflict in the first place,” said Mr Foukkare. 

Mr Foukkare said enforcement alone will not stamp out the tobacco black market if nothing is done to close the enormous price gaps between legal, regulated and taxed products and cheap, easily accessible illegal products.

“Of course, we need state governments to enforce strong penalties and laws in this space – but they are fighting an unwinnable war that they didn’t start,” he said.

“This isn’t a chicken or an egg situation – we know what came first. Federal Labor raised the tobacco excise so high it created the conditions for organised crime to thrive.”

The National Illicit Tobacco Ladder, which ranks states governments on their illicit tobacco response, was released yesterday by the Australian Council on Smoking and Health.

“Australia’s tobacco black market didn’t start at a state level, and it wasn’t started by law-abiding retailers selling legal, regulated products,” said Mr Foukkare.

“The response to the Senate inquiry into the Illegal Tobacco Crisis highlights that there is a growing chorus of voices calling for the Federal Government to change its policy settings – including the Police Federation of Australia and Border Force.

“The focus should not be on what the states are doing. Federal Labor’s failings caused this mess and it’s time for them to clean it up.”

The Police Federation of Australia’s submission to the Senate inquiry into the Illegal Tobacco Crisis can be read here.

Media contact: Theo Foukkare – 0423 003 133